Congratulations to Allison Sheardy, FWS, for passing the French Wine Scholar exam with highest honors!
About Allison:
I came to wine as a second career about six years ago and have truly found my raison d’etre. I’ve created a niche for myself working in unique wine regions around the United States (Texas Hill Country, historic Livermore, CA, and now Minnesota) and specialize in hospitality for boutique, family-owned wineries.
I earned my WSET Diploma in Wines in 2021 and recently completed the French Wine Scholar program. Equally passionate about wine writing and education, I regularly write freelance articles and teach WSET levels 1-3. Furthermore, I am currently a Master of Wine Stage 1 student. One of the beautiful things about wine is that you can never know everything; it is very appealing to a lifelong learner like myself.
When I’m not studying for my next wine certification, I enjoy traveling, cooking, kayaking, and hiking with my lab mix, Cabbie.
The French Wine Scholar program was fun because it dug a little deeper into the history and culture of the regions I was introduced to during my WSET journey.
As I mentioned, I am now a Master of Wine Stage 1 student. However, I am also a WSET educator. While a lot of the FWS curriculum is outside of the WSET syllabus, I think having a deeper knowledge of these regions (and especially some of the history behind them) helps enhance my understanding of them, and therefore my teaching.
I should probably consider the Italian Wine Scholar program next – for these same benefits, to help keep me focused and motivated, and to improve my knowledge on a country that is admittedly a weak spot.
I think continuing to learn through any program helps fuel curiosity – with wine especially, the more you know, the more you realize you don’t know!
